Process for the Manufacture of a Tea Product and Products Obtained Thereby

Abstract

A process is provided for the manufacture of a tea product which is readily infusible and has improved red colour. The process comprises contacting black tea with ascorbic acid and/or its salts, an oxidizing agent and water for a period of at least 5 minutes followed by drying to prepare a tea product that is infusible in water at 5 to 100° C.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to a process for obtaining cold water infusible or extractable tea starting with black tea as the raw material and to the products obtained thereby that have improved red colour and infuse rapidly.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Leaf tea may be prepared as green leaf tea or black leaf tea. Generally, to prepare black leaf tea, fresh green leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis are withered (a process to allow the plucked tea leaves to lose moisture and bring about chemical / biochemical changes especially in aroma), macerated, fermented (in which process enzymes in the tea leaf use atmospheric oxygen to oxidise various substrates to produce coloured. products) and then dried at high temperature (to inactivate the enzymes). Green tea manufacture does not involve a fermentation process although partial fermentation may be used to produce intermediate-type teas known as “oolong” tea.[0003]Tea is consumed as a hot beverage or as a cold be...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The invention also pertains to the tea obtained or obtainable by this process. The tea so obtained is cold water and ho

Problems solved by technology

However, this process requires high temperatures or treatment with harsh chemicals li